Porta d'Oriente
An EU citizen? For a language course your ID card is enough: no visa, no residence permit for stays under three months. The same applies to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Porta d'Oriente is an Italian language school for foreigners in Otranto (Puglia): intensive courses of about 20 hours per week plus lighter options, usually starting every Monday. The school also helps you find accommodation. Below you will find the key facts, a mini guide to Otranto to plan your stay, and a form to write to the school directly.
The school
The course
Also offers themed courses in: art, cooking, wine
Prices
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Ciao gentile staff di Porta d'Oriente, I'd like to know the price of your Italian courses. Could you send me the total cost including enrolment fee, materials and accommodation, and the available start dates for the coming months? Grazie infinite del vostro aiuto e ci vediamo presto!
Arrive ready.
With the ti app you read graded stories with support in 14 languages. Five minutes a day between now and departure.
Half of the A1 path is open, no sign-up
€5,83 a month on the yearly plan
★★★★★(7)by Alessio, a teacher since 2018
Start with A1 ↗︎Search for amo Italian
Why choose this school
- Classes of no more than 8 studentsbelow the industry average, so more time to speak
- 20 timetabled hours are really 16 hours 40 minutesa lesson lasts 50 minutes, not 60
- Quality checked by an independent bodyBildungsurlaub accreditation
- Exam centre on siteyou can sit CELI where you study
- The school arranges your accommodationfree service
What's around you
not to be missed
Compact centre: you can walk almost everywhere. For the rest there are city buses: buy the ticket at a tobacconist or newsstand before you get on.
Brindisi Salento (BDS), 73 km away
What is worth knowing before you book
Prices, enrolment fee, real lesson hours, accommodation and cancellation: the same questions apply to every school. Read the full guide →
Weather right now
Write to the school
Otranto at a glance
Porta d'Oriente is in Otranto (Puglia). Outside the classroom this is where the language gets practised: at the coffee counter, in the square, at the market.
Events this year
The city's big festivals, food fairs and cultural seasons through the year. They're not just entertainment: they're the best training ground for your Italian. At a local festival you end up ordering, asking directions, chatting with locals: the real language, the kind books don't teach. If you can, line up a week of your course with one of these.
Alba dei Popoli Between December and January Otranto celebrates the year's first sunrise at Italy's easternmost point, with concerts and talks. Atmospheric and uncrowded: lovely for seeing Salento in winter. | December–January |
Festa dei Santi Martiri In mid-August Otranto remembers the eight hundred martyrs of 1480 with a procession, illuminations and fireworks over the sea. A powerful festival of identity: excellent for historical and religious vocabulary. | metà August |
Frequently asked questions
When do Italian courses at Porta d'Oriente start?
How many lesson hours per week are there?
How much does an Italian course in Otranto cost?
Does the school help with accommodation?
Can I prepare for or take an official exam (CILS, CELI, PLIDA)?
How do I get to Otranto?
Good to know before you enrol
What not to miss in Otranto
- Cattedrale e il mosaicoThe tree of life from 1163, covering the whole floor.
- Castello aragonese e borgoThe easternmost point of Italy.
- Baia dei TurchiSalento's Caribbean-looking beaches.
Planning your Italian course in Otranto: fly into Brindisi (BDS), book the course 2–3 weeks ahead (classes fill up faster in high season, June–September) and, if you can, match your study week with one of the city events listed below: using your Italian at a local festival is worth a week of lessons. And between lessons, there's the sea.
Before you leave for Otranto, start from home.
With the ti app you arrive in Otranto already understanding what you hear: graded stories with translation in 14 languages, exercises and an A1–C2 path.
Half of the A1 path is open, no sign-up
★★★★★(7)by Alessio, a teacher since 2018
Start with A1 ↗︎Search for amo Italian
